Family Honors Their Loved One With a Scholarship Memorial Fund

Updated: September 16, 2024

By Mike Villarreal

Ruth Galvan Morales, Orlando Morales Jr, Carolina Morales, and the Morales family are excited to announce the establishment of the Orlando Morales Triad of Excellence Award in honor of Orlando Morales’ lasting memory.

Orlando was a talented student at Santa Maria ISD, and his family would like to celebrate students who exhibit similar qualities. The first recipient of this prestigious scholarship will be a student from Santa Maria ISD.

This scholarship aims to recognize and reward outstanding high school students who demonstrate exceptional achievement across academics, athletics, and the arts, specifically in the band field. Recipients of this award are expected to be leaders who have demonstrated dedication, discipline, and commitment to excellence in multiple aspects of their high school experience.

Orlando Morales was a remarkable student known for his multifaceted talents. As an athlete, Orlando demonstrated extraordinary work ethic, skill, and knowledge on the field, court, and track, showing discipline, teamwork, and leadership, making him a respected figure among his peers and coaches.
He was an outstanding academic scholar, consistently achieving high marks and showing a deep passion for math and education. Aside from the classroom and athletics, Orlando had a deep love for music. He had the ability to play a variety of instruments and enjoyed teaching others how to play. Orlando’s legacy is one of dedication, versatility, and a passion for excellence in all areas of life.

His family has established the Orlando Morales Triad of Excellence Award to honor his memory and hopes to recognize and celebrate students who demonstrate similar qualities.

Orlando Morales was a lifelong resident of Santa Maria and graduated in 1996. His wife, Ruth Galvan Morales, described him as “a very smart and intelligent man. He was humble and had the opportunity to attend MIT in Boston right after high school and Monterrey Tech to play football. He chose not to leave his family. I was always very proud of him and now we have an angel looking over us.”

Orlando worked at La Feria ISD for 18 years and initially started his education career as a paraprofessional. He later worked with PEIMS (Public Education Information Management System), Shipping and Receiving, and payroll. In his final two years, he served as the PEIMS Coordinator at Central Office, overseeing the school district’s PEIMS.

Orlando, also known as ‘Orli’ to family and friends, was passionate about playing drums and was part of several musical groups. He was part of Grupo Travieso out of Santa Maria, which recorded two CDs in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He later played with Grupo Regresso, and for the last two years, he played with Grupo Estremo.

Although Orlando’s life was cut short, his legacy will live on through this scholarship. He was grateful to have a loving family that always supported him. He was a part of the community that will be greatly missed but never forgotten. You can stay updated on the scholarship by visiting and following the Orlando Morales Triad of Excellence Award Facebook Page.
Information and photos from the Orlando Morales Triad of Excellence Award Facebook Page